Attachment for musical instruments



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l. G. BROWN. ATTACHMENT POR MUSICALINSTRUMENTS.

Patented Feb. 6, 1894.:

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lNvENTOR: @a

WITNESSES;

2. t e e h S s .fu e e h S 2 N O R B G u. d 0 M o m ATTACHMENT PORMUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Patented Feb. 6, 1894.

INVENTOR:

WlTN-ESSES:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE BROVN, OF LONG ISLAND CITY, NEV YORK.

ATTACHMENT FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 514,259, dated February6, 1894.

Application tiled September 27,1893. SerialNo. 486,611. (No model-l Toall whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE BROWN, a suhject of the King of Portugal, buthaving declared my intention of becoming a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing in Long Island Oity, in the county of Queens and Stateof New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAttachments for Musical Instruments, of which the following is aspecilication.

This invention relates to such musical instruments as pianos and organs,and is designed to provide an improved attachment which may be eitherpermanently or removably applied to such instruments, and by means ofwhich the instruments can be played automatically.

Automatic pianos have heretofore been in use in which mechanismoperating the keys has been actuated by a moving sheet or plateconstructed to permit operation of such mechanism in accordance with themusic to be rendered by the instrument. My invention relates .in itsgeneral character to such devices.

This invention aims to provide a simple, cheap and effective attachmentfor pianos and other instruments by which such instruments can beoperated automatically or mechanically. To this end in carrying out myinvention, I provide certain features of improvement in the constructionand operation of the attachment which will be hereinafter fully setforth.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the preferred adaptationof my invention, Figure l is a side elevation of my improved attachmentshowing the key-board of a piano to which it is attached in section.Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front elevation of the attachment, the partsbeing broken out centrally to shorten the view. Fig. 3 is a verticalmid-section of the apparatus; and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary rear elevationthereof partly in section on the line 4-41 in Figs. l and 3, and brokenout intermediately of its length to shorten the view.

Referring to the drawings, let A indicate a piano case, B the frontboard of the key-box thereof, O the white keys or full-tone keys of thepiano, D the black keys or half-tonekeys thereof,E my improvedattachment as a Whole, F the clamp thereof for connecting the attachmentto the piano, G the white-key hammers thereof, G the half-tone hammersthereof, H the music sheet, perforated according to the music to herendered and controlling the operation of the hammer mechanism of theattachment, II II the brackets carrying the rollers on which sheet II iscarried, I the driving mechanism for operating sheet II, and I the crankor other suitable motor for driving the mechanism I.

The piano A may be of any usual construction. As usual, the front boardB of its keybox has a molding B projecting at top, and beneath this afiat bottom B. The keys C and D are of the usual construction andarrangement, serving as usual when depressed to operate the hammers forproducing the desired sounds.

According to the preferred form of my invent-ion the attachment E is aseparate structure capable of attachment to or removal from theinstrument which it operates. In the construction shown it consists of arectangular vertical frame or box J, having flat rear wall J', similarfront wall J2, and flat vertical end walls J3. The height and length ofthe box Will depend upon the instrument to which it is to be applied.Preferably the box J is provided at rear with one or more metallicclamps F, which are rigidly fixed to the back board J', and areaccording to my invention constructed with a narrow fiat rearwardlyprojecting top liange F,felted on its under face, and adapted to restupon the top face of the molding B of the piano case. Beneath thisflange is a recess F2 receiving said molding. Beneath this recess is arearwardly projecting iiange F5, preferably convex on its upper face,and of greater width than the flange F', which flange F3 freely embracesthe under face of the molding B. Beneath the flange F3 the clamp extendsdownwardly in a substantially flat and gradually tapering portion F4,and terminates in a rearwardly projecting screwthreaded lug F5, whichpasses under the bottom face B of the piano case, and is traversed by aclamping screw FG, which when screwed tight engages the bottom face ofthe case and thereby clamps the case tightly between the iiange F andthe lug F5, and secures the attachment firmly to the piano.

The attachment preferably carries the key IOO movers, the music roll,the driving mechanism, and the motor. Any of these parts may be of anysuitable known construction, but I prefer to employ the constructionsshown, in which the key movers are vertically-acting pivoted hammers Gand G', one for each key of the piano, the music roll is the usual sheetperforated according to the piece to be played, the driving mechanismconsists of gears and rollers I, and the motor consists of acrank I' tobe operated by the hand of the user, by elec- .tricity or any othermeans. The hammers G and G are identical in all respects, except thatthose for the full-tone keys C are shorter and 0f greater downwardprojection than those for the half-tone keys D, the dierencecorresponding with the usual dierence in location l of the respectivekeys. Preferably the hammers are each constructed with a felted enlargedstriker a, of wood or other material at their rear ends, a thin sheetmetal or other suitable body portion b, and a widened me tallic or otherpointer c at their front ends. In this construction the Various hammersare all fulcrumed on a single axis K consisting of a single wirearranged within the box J, and traversing a corresponding perforationthrough a vertical kerf or notch'ed bar K fixed to the respective endwalls J 3 of the box. The thin bodies b of the hammers each have apivotal perforation b coinciding with the longitudinal perforation b2through the bar K', and the wire K traverses all these perforations. Thenotches o' traverse vertically substantially half through the bar K',and are each of sucient width to receive and rmly embrace while movablyengaging, the body b of the hammer entering the notch. The rear board Jhas a vertical slot c2 for each of the hammers, and the rear end of thebody portion b of each hammer projects through this slot. This slot c2is but little larger than the width of the body b. The rear wall J isdivided at the lower ends of the slots c2, on the line X into top andbottom parts X and X2, the slots being in the upper part' X', so that inapplying or removing the rear wall the slots can be passed over the endsof the hammers G. At rear of their fulcrums the hammers have eyes b3,and for each of the hammers I provide a spring or other actuating deviceL. In the construction shown, a spiral spring is employed for eachhammer, which spring on its upper end engages the eye b2 of its hammer,and at its lower end, is fastened to an adjustable eye b4 which screwsinto' the bottom wallv of the box J, and which can be adjusted to givethe requisite tension to its spring by being screwed toward or from saidwall. The springs L tend to draw the hammers toward the case of thepiano, and when the hammer is released its spring quickly depresses itwith sulhcient force to cause it to strike the requisite blow upon thecorresponding piano key.

Normally all the hammers are retained in the raised or inactive positionagainst the tension of their respective springs by reason of theengagement of the music sheet H with their front extremities or pointerends c. When, however, one of these ends is opposite a perforation ordepression, such as the perforations d in the music sheet,thisperforation permits such pointer to move forwardly into it, whereuponthe tension of the spring of the corresponding hammer is free to act todepress the hammer, and consequently the piano key, and strike thedesired note. The depression of the ham mer will be maintained by thespring until the hammer is again restored to the inactive position,which will be done when the end of the perforation or depression in themusic sheet has been reached, and the solid body of the sheet has bypassing across the pointer end c of the hammer caused the latter to tiltback to the normal position. The music sheet H is given a regularprogressive movement across the pointer ends of the hammers, and thus bygraduating the length and location of the respective perforations, thesequence of striking the respective keys, and the proper relativeduration of the depressions thereof for maintaining the notes during theperiod of time desired, is obtained as usual.

According to my invention the music sheet H traverses preferably at thefront side of the box J and across the outer front face thereof, and thepointer ends c of the hammers project through slots d in the front wallJ2, and have inclined front faces bearing against the rear side of thesheet H substantially flush with the front face of the wall J2. Thesheet H is drawn across these points preferably from top to bottom,being brought from a roll H2 at top to a roll I-l3 at bottom. Preferablythe sheet is driven by the driving mechanism I, which in theconstruction shown consists of a cylindrical outer roller e of uniformdiameter traversing the front face of the wall J2, a correspondingroller e' arranged within the box J and having enlargements e2 andintermediate reduced portions e3, its enlarged portions passing throughslots e4 in the front wall J2 and approaching so close to the peripheryof the roller e that when the sheet H is passed the two, it will befrictionally engaged by both, and thereby be compelled to advance withthe rotation of the rollers. The rollers e and e are geared together byspurgears @Son each, and hence rotate at the same surface speed. Theserollers may be driven by any suitable motor, that shown consisting ofthe crank I' which drives horizontal shaft l2 carrying bevel-pinion l3mesh ing wi-th bevelgear I4 which carries a spur-gear 15 meshing with anidler I6 which meshes With and drives the spur-gear e5 and roller e.

My invention provides improved means for reinforcing the music sheet atthe point where it is acted on by the pointer ends of the hammers.-Preferably at this point I provide a reinforce roller M which hasannular grooves f opposite each pointer end c, and of slightly .IOO

greaterwidth than the pointer ends, and of a depth sufficient to permitthe maximum outer movement of each pointer end when such end passesoutwardly through one of the perforations (Z of the music sheet. Betweenthese grooves, the portions f of the roller M are smooth andcylindrical, and of the same diameter as the roller e, and theseportions engage and rest against the outer face of the sheet H betweenthe pointeis, reinforcing it, and pi'eferably assisting to frictionallydrive the sheet. To the latter end the roller M is driven by the drivinggear actuating the rollers e and e. Preferably it is fixed to thebevel-gear I4. Thus when any hammer end c enters an aperture CZ, the endmoves through the aperture and into the groovefof the roller M, where itrests until the solid portion of the sheet strikes it and restores it tothe normal position.

Preferably the rollers e and M and their respective gears, are carriedin brackets N, which brackets are removably connected by T-screws N attop and bottom to plates N2 fixed to the front of wall J2. Thus byunscrewing the screws N with a key iitting their square heads ft/,tlierollers e and M with their gears can be removed from the face of the boxJ, whereupon a new sheet H can be substituted for that previously used,and then said rollers again applied in position. Preferably one of thebrackets N carries an auxiliary bracket g in which is mounted acrankshaft l2.

To facilitate the application or removal of the music sheet H, I providemeans for deiiecting all the hammers upwardly so that their pointer endsc will be drawn within their apertures d', whereby they will not catchupon or interferewith the manipulation of the sheet. Preferably this isaccomplished by a shifting bar O, arranged upon the rear side of thefront wall J2, traversing the latter longitudinally above the pointerends c of the several hammers, and pivoted atits one end to apin h iixedin a recess h in one of the end Walls Jsof the box J, and extendingatits other end outwardly through a slot in the opposite end wall J3 ofthe box, where the bar is constructed with a pin-hole t" and a handle 2.By pushing the bar downwardly it is lowered until its lower edge engagesand tilts all the hammers sufficiently to draw their pointer ends cwithin their slots d. A catch P is provided in the wall J3, and when thebar O is in the downward position, this catch enters its holet" andprevents its raising. Vhen the catch is released a spring ,e draws thebar upward out of engagement with the hammers. The catch P ismanipulated against a spring by its handle P at rear.

Another feature of my invention consists in constructing the bracketsI-l with slots j, and providing set-screws 7s on the end faces J 3 ofthe box,whicli screws take through the slots and clamp the bracketsagainst the fiat faces of the ends. Thus by loosening the screws eitherbracket may be adjusted outwardly or inwardly, or tilted upwardly ordownwardly until the desired position is reached, and then set bytightening the screws.

In operation, the music is placed in p osition,thedrivingmechanismisclamped against the front side of the music sheet, the attachment isclamped to the piano, and by rotating the crank l the music sheet iscaused to feed across the pointer ends of the hammers, and as itreleases the respective hammers, the latter through the tension of theirsprings act to depress the keys and play the piano or other instrumentto which the apparatus is attached.

It will be seen that my invention provides an improved attachment formusical instruments which is simple, cheap and eifective inconstruction, and' convenient of operation,

and it will be understood that the invention is not limited to theprecise details of construction, arrangement or combination set forthand shown as its preferred form, as these may be modified ascircumstances or the judgment of those skilled in the art may dictate,without departing from the essential features of the invention.

What I claim is, in attachments for musical instruments, thefollowing-defined novel features and combinations, substantially ashereinbefore set forth, namely:

l. In 'an attachment for musical instruments, a vertical frame J havinga vertical front wall J2 constructed with hammer-slots d and rollerholes c, and adapted to be carried by a musical instrument, hammers Gfor actuating the keys of the latter fulcrumed within said frame andprojecting at their front ends through said hammer-slots, a music sheetfor controlling the operation of said hammers carried by said frame andmoving over the outer face of said front wall and engaging the ends ofsaid hammers opposite said holes d', a grooved reinforce roller Mengaging said sheet opposite said holes d', driving mechanism for movingsaid sheet consisting of rollers e and e engaging the opposite sidesthereof, said roller e mounted at and engaging the outer side of saidsheet, and said roller e mounted within said frame J and having enlargedportions e2 passing through said holes e4 and engaging the inner side ofsaid sheet, interengaging gears between said rollers M e and e drivingthem at like surface speed, and means for driving said gears,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In au attachment for musical instruments, a vertical frame J, adaptedto be connected to a musical instrument, and having a front wall J2constructed with hammer-holes d', a rear wall J constructed with hammerslots c2 and an inner hammer bar K', hammers G carried by said frame foractuating the keys of said instrument, consisting of rigid leverspivoted each on said bar K, projecting through said holes d at front andthrough said slots c2 at rear of said frame,

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separate spiral springs L connected each to one of said hammers foractuating it, a driven music sheet traveling across the ends of saidhammers for controlling their operations, and a reinforce roller Mengaging said sheet 0pposite its point of contact with said hammers andreinforcing it against the tension thereof, substantially as set forth.

3. In an attachment for musical instruments, a vertical frame J, adaptedto be connected to a musical instrument, and having a front wall J2constructed with hammer holes OZ', a rear wall J' constructed withhammer slots c2 and an inner hammer bar K', hammers G carried by saidframe for actuating the keys of said instrument, consisting of rigidlevers pivoted each on said bar K', projecting through said holes d' atfront and through said slots c2 at rear of said frame,separate spiralsprings L connected each to one of said hammers for actuatingit, each ofsaid hammers having an inclined outer end, a driven music sheettraveling across the ends of said hammers for controlling theiroperation, and a throw-off device engaging said hammers consisting of a[iat bar O, hinged at one end within said frame, lying against the frontwall thereof above the inclined outer ends of said hammers, and whenmoved downward engaging and tilting the latter to an inactive position,and when moved upward freeing the hammers and permitting their normaloperation,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

et. In an attachment for musical instruments, a vertical frame J havinga front wall J 2, and a rear wall J', the latter consisting of a slottedtop board X' and a bottom board X2, a clamp Ffixed on the board X2 andadapted to be attached at its rear toamusical instrument, hammers Gcarried by said frame projecting at rear through the slots of said boardX' and engaging the keys of saidinstrument for operating said keys, saidfront wall having apertures d', and said' hammers having pointer ends cprojecting through Said apertures d', a notched bar K within said frameto which bar said hammers are fulcrumed, means for tilting said hammersto throw their pointer ends outwardly, and means at the exterior of saidfront wall engaging and moving across the pointer ends of said hammersfor controlling the operation thereof, whereby by removing saidv boardX' access can be had to the interior of said frame Without detaching itfrom the musical instrument, substantially as and for the purposes setforth.

5. In an attachment for musical instruments,`.a frame J, hammers Gcarried thereby and having pointer ends projecting at front Of saidframe, means for actuating said hammers, a sheet H moving down the outerface of said frame for controlling the operation of said hammers, areinforce roller M engaging the outer side of said sheet opposite saidpointer ends and reinforcing it against the action thereof, drivingmechanism for operating said sheet consisting of a roller e' engagingthe inner side thereof, a roller e engaging the outersde thereof,interengagin g gears between said rollers e and M for driving themtogether, brackets N removably mounted on the front of said frame andcarryingsaid rollers e and M and their gears, and a crank I' for drivingsaid rollers, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In, witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses. l

. GEORGE BROWN.

Witnesses:

GEORGE H. FRASER,

THOMAS F. WALLACE.

